Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (April 20, 2009) – From April 21-24 Bishkek will host a regional conference titled ““Uranium tailings: local problems, regional consequences, global solutions”, initiated by the Kyrgyz Government with assistance of UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Delegations from Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, also, representatives of other interested states, donors, international organizations, development agencies, expert communities, private sector and NGO’s are invited to participate at the conference.
Main goal of the conference is to discuss and develop a proposal of the CA states on prospective joint plans, including strengthening of partnership. Besides, participants plan to discuss high priority transboundary and national investment projects as well as projects aimed at strengthening of institutional capacity, improvement of legislation, economic and social initiatives, specific investment projects in the area of these regions and necessary humanitarian assistance to the residents of the tailings areas.
The conference is a critical event amid the problems related to the existing tailings on the territory of Central Asian countries as a result of the military industry of the former USSR. Conditions of these tailings, which contain more than 100 million tons of uranium and other toxic production wastes, tens of years later has significantly worsened after closure of related production sites.
Situation and risks of possible ecological disaster of regional scale is also burdened with the fact that most of the tailings are located near populated areas, river basins, zones of high seismicity with frequent and strong earthquakes, landslides and other dangerous natural occurrences, which are becoming more frequent with the climate changes.
This requires a well coordinated approach to the integrated solution of the problem.
Based on the results of the conference discussions, a special Framework document on the issue will be developed, which will be presented during the International Forum on Uranium Tailings on June 29 in Geneva, initiated by the President of Kyrgyz Republic. Also the document will be used in the following bilateral and multilateral negotiations between the CA states and donors, international organizations and private sector for attracting necessary financial and technological assistance and direct investments.
Framework document will include analysis of the current situation in CA states and business-ideas, approximate calculations of necessary investment volumes and priority project proposals.
UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners.
Learn more from:
Kairatbek Murzakimov
996 – 312- 611211 x 131
kmu@undp.kg
